Previous year board questions:

1. The elements of the second period of the Periodic Table are given below:
Li Be B C N O F
(a) Give reason to explain why atomic radii decrease from Li to F.
(b) Identify the most (i) metallic and (ii)non-metallic element.
2. Lithium, sodium and potassium form a Dobereiner’s triad. The atomic masses of lithium and
potassium are 7 and 39 respectively. Predict the atomic mass of sodium.
3. How does the electronic configuration of an atom of an element relate to its position in the modern
periodic table? Explain with one example.
4. State Mendeleev’s periodic law. Write two achievements of Mendeleev’s periodic table.
5. (a) What is meant by periodicity in properties of elements with reference to the periodic table?
(b) Why do all the elements of the same group have similar properties?
(c) How will the tendency to gain electrons change as we go from left to right across a period? Why?
6. (a) Which two criteria did Mendeleev use to classify the elements in his Periodic Table?
(b) State Mendeleev’s periodic law.
(c) Why could no fixed position be given to hydrogen in Mendeleev’s Periodic Table?
7. In the following table, are given eight elements A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H (here letters are not the
usual symbols of the elements) of the Modern Periodic Table with the atomic numbers of the
elements in parenthesis.

Period Group-1 Group-2

2 A (3) E (4)
3 B (11) F (12)
4 C (19) G (20)
5 D (37) H (38)

(a) What is the electronic configuration of F?

(b) What is the number of valence electrons in the atom of F?
(c) What is the number of shells in the atom of F?
(d) Write the size of the atoms of E, F, G and H in decreasing order,
(e) State whether F is a metal or a non-metal.
(f) Out of the three elements B, E and F, which one has the biggest atomic size?

8. The elements of the third period of the Periodic Table are given below

Group I II III IV V VI VII

Period 3 Na Mg Al Si P S Cl
(a) Which atom is bigger, Na or Mg? Why?
(b) Identify the most (i) metallic and (ii) non-metallic element in Period 3.
9. F, Cl and Br are the elements each having seven valence electrons. Which of these (a) has the largest
atomic radius, (b) is most reactive? Justify your answer stating reason for each

Anushka Servesh Rao

 10. In the following table, six elements A, B, C, D, E and F (here letters are not the usual symbols of the
elements) of the Modern Periodic Table with atomic numbers 3 to 18 are given:
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A E G
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
B C D F

(a) Which of these is (i) a noble gas, (ii) a halogen

(b) If B combines with F, what would be the formula of the compound formed?
(c)Write the electronic configurations of C and E.

Anushka Servesh Rao